Poker
by Skovko
Summary: Every Monday is poker night in Shane's house. Baron is used to Shane having women that he's "helping". Shane has paid off their debt and is now collecting by forcing them to work for him and do things they wouldn't do willingly. This Monday a new woman has arrived to the house that Baron can't take his eyes off. When Shane puts her on the line to win, Baron plays against Shane.
1. Monday

**MONDAY**

"I'm all in," Baron said.

His eyes wandered away from the poker game and towards the woman leaving the room for the umpteenth time after having served their needs. This time Shane's glass of brandy had been refilled. She had a head full of copper red, crazy curls that reached her lower back, a face full of freckles that gave her the cutest look, a pair of bright green eyes, and a mouth that Baron constantly looked at. Not because she talked a lot. She only answered when spoken to. But her lips were beautiful, natural and light pink. Lips that craved to be kissed in Baron's world, or maybe he just craved to kiss them.

"I can't top that," Shane said.  
"Huh?" Baron asked.

Baron looked back at the table and the money he had put in. Shane didn't even have half that amount. And Shane never went all in unless he was 100% sure he would win.

"Well, what are you gonna do about that?" Baron teased.

Shane tapped his fingers on the table while studying his cards.

"How about Iota?" Shane asked.  
"Io-what now?" Baron asked.  
"Iota. My new girl. The one you can't take your eyes off," Shane chuckled.

Baron hadn't gotten as far to even begin to think about a name for the woman. He had already dubbed her sugar lips in his mind.

"What about her?" Baron asked.  
"You want her, right? What if she makes up for the money I can't put down?" Shane asked.  
"I'm not interested in a free fuck. I can get that anywhere," Baron said.  
"Yes, you are. I see it in your eyes. What you're not interested in is my hand downs," Shane said.

Baron didn't even bother denying that. It was true. Baron wasn't like Shane. Shane didn't exactly do legit business when it came to the woman working for him. Shane didn't give the poor women a choice once they were inside his walls. He was too good at this game. Paying off a debt for the women and bringing them in to work it off without telling them that working it off didn't just mean cleaning and cooking.

"I haven't housebroken her yet," Shane said.  
"Why don't I believe you?" Baron smirked.  
"Seriously, I just got her last night. You know I don't touch them the first night. They need a good night's sleep before I start collecting. I was gonna break her in tonight once you leave but you can do that for me," Shane said.

As tempting as the offer was, Baron didn't want to force himself on Iota. She was the type of woman he would fantasize about while being alone. The type of woman he would see in his mind when doggystyling the living shit out of some random, annoying fuck that he didn't want to look at.

"Like I said, I can get a free fuck anywhere. What you got there," Baron pointed towards the door Iota had walked out of. "Is a fine woman. A mighty fine woman. She's worth more than that."  
"Take her for a week then," Shane offered.  
"A week? A whole week?" Baron chuckled. "You're not joking, are you?"  
"Not at all," Shane smirked. "Take her home for a week and test drive her for me. Make sure to let her know this is how it's gonna be until her debt's paid off. After all, you're a big softy at heart. You won't break her like I will. Maybe it's better to start her out softer and slowly ease her into my ways once she comes back home."

There had got to be catch. Baron was sure of it. And then he remembered that Shane never went all in unless he was 100% sure he held the winning hand.

"What do you say?" Shane asked. "Of course you have to actually win first."  
"I'm in," Baron said.

Shane grinned and put down his hand. Two kings.

"Nice," Baron said. "But not enough."

Baron put down his hand. Two aces.

"Damn!" Shane muttered.  
"Guess I won't be sleeping alone all week," Baron chuckled.

Baron gathered the money from the table and looked at Shane again.

"Mind calling her in here for me?" Baron asked.

Shane let out a sigh. Clearly he was annoyed at losing. He hated to lose. But he was also a man of honor when it came to poker nights so he never threw a tantrum when he finally lost.

"Iota!" Shane called.

The redhead stepped into the room shortly after. She couldn't have been far away. Baron wasn't surprised. The women knew they had to be close at all time if they didn't want to feel Shane's wrath.

"Change of plans," Shane said. "You're going home with Baron."

Iota looked at the men at the table. She had no idea who Baron might be.

"That's the big, bald dude," Shane chuckled.  
"Hi," Baron waved.  
"As I said, you're going home with him for a week. Do whatever he says. You're still working for me, and I'm telling you to work for my friend for a week. Whatever he wants, you'll do. No questions asked," Shane looked at Baron. "If she's not back here by next Monday, I'm eating your balls for dinner next day."

Baron chuckled and stood up.

"Relax, you're gonna be fine. You still got those Bella twins to serve you," Baron said.  
"Actually their debt was paid off a week ago. I only got Iota right now so you know how much I hate this deal. I'll have to cook for myself this week," Shane said.  
"It's never too late to learn something new. Gentlemen, as always it was a pleasure to take your money," Baron smirked. "Alright, Iota, let's go."

The car ride back to Baron's house was a silent one. She didn't even seem surprised that he owned a big house just like Shane. He knew the women Shane helped out of debt came from rough places. Some of them were even homeless. Women Shane could and would prey on. Baron was nothing like that.

"Let's get you settled in," he said.

She followed him upstairs. He walked into his bedroom and he could see on her face how her heart sank when she thought what was about to happen.

"Relax," he said. "I'm just getting you a shirt to sleep in unless you wanna stay in that skimpy maid costume he put you in. I mean, I wouldn't complain if you were to keep it on all week and hopefully bend over in front of me but somehow I doubt you'll find that entertaining."

He pulled out the first shirt from his closet, walked back to her and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said.

She had a beautiful voice and already she had been told only to answer when spoken to. He didn't like it. He walked to the room next to his with her following right after again.

"I got different rules here than Shane. Really, I don't have any rules. So speak up whenever you feel like it. Sing a song if you like. Use your voice," he said.

She nodded and he couldn't help but laugh at the irony of her nodding when he had just told her to use her voice.

"We'll work on that," he said.

He held out his hand and she walked into the room where she would be sleeping. It was just a simple guest room with a bed and a dresser. Nothing much but it would do. What he really wanted to do was take her to his own bed but he wouldn't be that type of man. Not without consent.

"Nothing's off limit. Take as many showers as you like. Eat and drink whatever you want. Just don't run off. I mean, I can't exactly stop you if you choose to do so but I'll have to answer to Shane if you do, and I really don't want that. Shane is..." He sighed. "Shane is Shane. No need to put all that on you. You need to sleep."

He grabbed the door handle and started closing the door.

"Goodnight," she said.  
"Goodnight," he smiled at the sound of her voice. "I'm right next door if you need me. Don't be afraid to wake me up if you need something. No matter how small it might seem. I won't be mad."

With those words he closed the door completely so she could have privacy. He walked back to his bedroom and closed the door. He stripped down to his briefs and sat down on the bed. Right on the other side of the wall was a beautiful woman that he wouldn't miss out on the chance of being balls deep inside if she offered.

He looked down at his dick and groaned. Of course it was awake and demanding attention. He pulled it out of his briefs and gave himself the quickest handjob while picturing Iota stripping out of that maid costume. He came over his hand within a minute.

"Fuck me!" He growled. "Yes, please do, sugar lips. Great, now you're talking to yourself, Baron. Over some woman who hardly spoke two words to you but she's still inside your home somehow. Just fucking go to sleep, idiot."


	2. Tuesday

**TUESDAY**

Baron opened the bedroom door and stepped out in the hall. He looked at the door next to his and saw that it was open. Iota had left the room, and he could only hope she was still in the house somewhere.

He quickly relieved himself in the bathroom before walking downstairs. Halfway down the stairs, he started smelling food and coffee. Something delicious hang in the air. The scent of cinnamon. He hadn't smelled that since his childhood home when his mother used to bake cinnamon rolls. He finally made it to the kitchen and realized that was exactly what he was smelling. Freshly made cinnamon rolls.

"Well, aren't you the little baker? What other secrets do you keep?" He chuckled.

She blushed. The red color in her cheeks blended in with her freckles and made her look even more cute. He grabbed a cinnamon roll and took a bite.

"Holy shit, that's delicious," he said.  
"Thank you," she said.  
"No, really. You can be proud of this. I don't think I've ever said this before about any of my mother's cooking, but these are better than my mom's. Don't tell her I said so or she'll have my head," he said.

She started laughing and he had never heard anything more beautiful. His mission the night before had been to make her talk more, but he welcomed this sweet laughter more than anything.

"What's so funny?" He asked.  
"I didn't take you for a momma's boy," she answered.  
"You got jokes too. A bit of sass, I see. What else are you hiding?" He asked.

She grabbed a cinnamon roll and took a bite.

"Ah, refusing to answer, I see. I'll figure you out soon enough," he said.

He smirked and took another bite of his cinnamon roll. He let out a groan that almost sounded like he was having sex in the kitchen.

"This is almost better than sex," he winked. "Almost."

He sat down at the table and poured himself a cup of coffee. Apparently she had gone through all his cupboards. Without missing a beat, she placed a bowl, a spoon, cereal and milk in front of him. So far he knew one thing. She baked like he had died and gone to heaven but she didn't cook breakfast. That was okay. He liked his cereal. He hadn't bought it to just look at it. And with these cinnamon rolls, he didn't care if she couldn't cook at all.

"Have you eaten already?" He asked.  
"No, I was too busy baking," she answered.  
"Grab a bowl and sit," he said.

He sensed some hesitation but she grabbed a bowl and sat down.

"What is it?" He asked.  
"You confuse me," she answered.  
"How come?" He asked.  
"Shane told me staff isn't supposed to dine with you people," she said.  
"You call us you people?" He chuckled. "I thought I told you yesterday that I don't have any rules here."

He pushed the box of cereal over to her and smiled when she grabbed it and filled her bowl.

"So what's your story?" He asked.  
"I was born. I grew up," she answered.  
"Smart ass!" He kicked her playfully under the table. "Come on, give me the dirty details. How did you end up in the claws of Shane?"  
"He offered to pay off my debt," she said.  
"How much did you owe?" He asked.  
"5 grand," she answered.

He whistled. That was pocket money to him but he knew it was a lot to her. Too much. Otherwise she wouldn't have let Shane buy her debt.

"Who did you owe that to?" He asked.  
"Bray Wyatt," she answered.  
"Damn! How did you get tangled up with a drug lord?" He asked.

She sighed and poured milk over her cereal.

"I needed money to pay off a dentist bill. I had two wisdom teeth removed and I couldn't pay it. So I did the stupid thing and took the money for my rent. I thought I could convince my landlord to skip a month since he always seemed interested in me. Guess I was wrong. So I found Bray. I was supposed to make one trip and get some drugs into the country. Not a lot. Just a small amount. Apparently the guy on the other end screwed him over and disappeared with the money. I came home with powded sugar without knowing it. Since the guy was gone, I was the only one left to pay," she said.

He stared at her. He couldn't believe something as stupid as a dentist bill had made her end up in Shane's home of all places. First through Bray who undoubtedly would have tortured and killed her if Shane hadn't paid off the debt, but Shane wasn't any better. She would be alive but at what cost? It would be a broken woman that would come out of it once the debt was paid off. If she even made it that far. There had been at least two in the past killing themselves to get free of Shane as far as Baron knew.

"Jesus, fuck!" He muttered.  
"I know," she sighed.

She pushed her untouched bowl of cereal away from her. Apparently she had lost all appetite and that hurt him somewhere. He didn't want her to starve herself.

"Look, I'm not stupid," she said. "I know I have to do something for Shane. I just don't know what. What type of illegal stuff is he into?"  
"Fixed boxing matches but that's not what he wants from you," he said.  
"What does he want?" She asked.  
"Do you really need me to say it? You were running around in that costume from a sex shop. He's gonna take you... No, that's not the right word. He's gonna rape you until your debt is paid off. He has this weird system. 100 dollars per week. Since you owe 5000, you're gonna be stuck with him for a long time," he said.  
"I guess that's why he demanded I quit my job," she said.

He stared at her across the table but she kept her eyes down. It was clear he was watching a woman trying to get to terms with how the next year of her life would look like. She stood up and looked at him.

"He told me to serve you this week so drop the act," she said.  
"What act?" He asked.  
"Let's just get this over with," she said.

She pulled off the shirt she had slept in. He looked at her naked breasts and that little, black, lace thong. Any other given scenario and he would have thrown her on the kitchen table and fucked her senseless. This was wrong on so many levels.

"No!" He barked.

He stood up too, grabbed the shirt and pressed it against her breasts to cover her up.

"I am nothing like him!" He growled.  
"Then why am I here?" She asked.  
"He put you on the line in poker and I won. I thought..." He sighed. "I'm not sure what I thought. That I'd get you out of the house and get to know you better."  
"And once the week is over?" She asked.  
"I don't know," he answered.  
"Right," she said. "I'm gonna go take a shower."

She walked out of the kitchen. He followed behind and watched her as she walked up the stairs.

"Hey!" He called softly.

She stopped and turned around to look at him.

"Do you like to read?" He asked.  
"Yes," she answered.  
"I have a small library down there," he pointed next to the stairs. "The last room on the left. Feel free to use it as much as you like. I won't disturb you if you wanna keep your nose in a book."  
"Thank you," she said.

She turned around again and continued up the stairs. He kept standing there, watching her walk out of sight. He groaned and cursed himself inwardly. A library? Of all the things he could come up with, he had offered her to borrow his books.

"Stupid idiot!" He scolded himself. "Like some fucking books are gonna make her happy about her future."


	3. Wednesday

**WEDNESDAY**

So it had turned out that Iota really loved to read. Either that or she just wanted to be left alone. After her shower the day before, she had stayed in the library and only come out whenever she needed to use the bathroom or when Baron called her out for lunch and dinner. He had actually cooked for her. Not that he minded. He liked cooking. It was just different to actually cook for someone. She seemed to like his food from the few words he dragged out of her.

He almost expected her to run during the night after he had told her what her life with Shane was gonna look like. She hadn't. She was still there. She probably had nowhere to go, or she expected Shane to give chase and hurt her for running. Either way, he found freshly made chocolate cookies in the kitchen Wednesday morning. After a quick search he found her in the library with her nose in a book, still wearing that same shirt of his.

"Should I go get some of your clothes?" He asked.

She looked up from the book with a confused look. She had heard his voice but not actually heard what he had said.

"Your clothes?" He pointed at the shirt. "Should I stop by Shane's and get some of it?"  
"None of it is there," she said.

It was his turn to look confused.

"I wasn't allowed to bring any personal belonging into his house. Don't you think I would at least be wearing a bra if I was allowed to? Everything is in my apartment," she said.  
"And you're losing that when you stop paying rent," he said.  
"Clever boy," she taunted.  
"Hey! I'm not the one who put you in this position," he said.  
"No, I was," she said.

He stepped into the library and walked over to her.

"No, Shane was," he said.  
"I'm taking my responsibility in this mess," she said.  
"Jesus, fuck! Will you just listen to me?" He raised his voice. "That asshole made you quit your job. You're not allowed any of your belongings. When you don't pay rent, your landlord is gonna throw everything away. Everything! You'll have nothing. Once Shane kicks you out after paying off your debt, you have nothing and nowhere to go. I always knew he was twisted but I never knew how much. That sick fuck!"

He grabbed the book out of hand and slammed it down on the small table next to her.

"Get up!" He barked.  
"Why?" She asked.  
"We're going for a ride," he answered.  
"Where to?" She asked.  
"To get your stuff. The apartment is still yours for the rest of the month so let's just get your stuff," he said.

A 20 minute car ride later and he found himself in one of the poor neighborhoods of town. His car stuck out like a sore thumb.

"It's not gonna get stolen, is it?" He asked.  
"Maybe," she shrugged.

They walked into the building and up to the fourth floor. She unlocked the door and he stepped into a small one bedroom apartment. He looked around and took a step back.

"There's a rat in the corner," he said.

She looked towards the corner and smiled.

"That's just George," she said.  
"You named him?" He asked.  
"I might as well. He wasn't moving out despite me asking," she said.  
"How do you even know it's a boy?" He asked.  
"Have you ever looked at a rat from behind? Trust me, you won't be able to not tell once you see a pair of rat balls. They'll shame any man to the ground," she said.

She stepped over to the dresser and quickly emptied the drawers for clothes.

"That's all you got?" He asked.  
"I wasn't born with a silver spoon up my ass like you were," she said.  
"Whatever!" He growled. "Let's just get the fuck out of here."

He quickly stuffed her clothes in bags and almost ran down the stairs to check up on his car. It was still intact.

"Relax. People around here might be poor but they're honest. Crime rate isn't high in this neighborhood," she said.  
"Just get in the fucking car!" He barked.  
"Yes, daddy," she said mockingly.

He clenched the steering wheel tight and pursed his lips while he drove them home as fast as he could. Once they stopped in his driveway, he finally looked at her again.

"Don't call me that again," he said.  
"What?" She asked.  
"Daddy," he said. "I don't like it. I'm not some sort of sugar daddy paying you for sex. You're not some prostitute having to give me anything for staying in my home. I'm getting really tired of you seeing me the same way as you see Shane."  
"You're getting tired?" She snorted. "That's fucking rich."

She stepped out of his car and walked fast towards the house. He got out of the car too, fumbling with the bags of clothes while shouting after her.

"Hey!" He shouted. "Get back here!"  
"Am I not allowed inside the house anymore?" She yelled.  
"Fuck this!" He growled lowly to himself. "Why is she so damn smart? You still like her, Baron. You like her attitude. You wanna kill Shane. Wait, what? I don't wanna kill anyone."

He finally got all the bags and walked up to her.

"Keys are in my pocket," he said.

He turned his left hip towards her. She fished out the keys for the door, unlocked and opened it. She held out her hand as if she was inviting him into his own home. He rolled his eyes and walked in. He walked upstairs with her following after. He threw all the bags on the bed in the guest room.

"There," he said. "Don't say I never did anything for you."  
"Right, I'll be sure to remember that when Shane forces his dick inside me. I'll just tell myself it's not that bad because you got me my jeans. That'll make me feel so much better," she said.

He didn't know whether to yell at her or kiss her. He wanted to do both.

"What else do you want me to do?" He asked.  
"Nothing. Burn all my stuff for all I care. Do you honestly think I wanna see you again after I go back to Shane?" She asked.  
"Am I really that bad?" He asked.  
"He is," she answered.  
"You'll see me every Monday for poker nights," he said.  
"Yay!" She rolled her eyes. "I can't wait. I'll tell you all about how he bent me over during the week so you'll be caught up in no time."

He growled lowly. A growl that came deep from his throat. He wanted to punch the wall. Really he wanted to punch Shane but he could always picture Shane's face on the wall. He clenched his fist but kept his anger within. He didn't want to scare her.

"Go read or something," he said.  
"As long as you let me be," she said.  
"I'll come get you for lunch," he said.  
"I'm not hungry," she said.  
"You'll eat!" He barked. "And dinner too!"  
"Fine!" She yelled. "But I want turkey burgers then!"  
"I'll make you those stupid burgers!" He yelled back.

They stared at each other for a few seconds and then they both started laughing. They were actually having a screaming match about dinner. It seemed so absurd. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around him too, and for a while they just stood there holding each other while he gently stroked her over her hair.

"I'm sorry," he said.  
"It's not your fault," she said.  
"I know," he kissed the top of her head. "But I'm still sorry. You don't deserve this. Shane is not a good man."  
"He's your friend," she said.  
"I just like playing poker," he confessed.

She looked up at him and he shook his head slowly.

"I used to be in on the fixed boxing matches but I quickly stopped. I don't like illegal business. But poker is fun. We play every Monday but I don't see him outside of that," he said.  
"If you're not into illegal business, what do you do for a living? This house is as big as a mall. It didn't come cheap," she said.

He chuckled and sat down on her bed. She kept standing on the floor watching him.

"I buy up companies about to go out of business. I never lie to them. I tell them I'm gonna buy them up to split them apart and sell out everything piece by piece. A machine to one company, a desk to another. It's perfectly legal although some people think it shouldn't be with the amount of hearts I break. These companies are already dying. Despite me being honest, they always have this silly hope that I'll save them and keep them in business somehow," he said.

He sighed and stood back up.

"So there you have it. I'm not a good man but at least I do legal business. I wasn't born with a silver spoon up my ass. I made my own fortune by doing this. Feel free to hate me if you want," he said.

He looked at her for five long seconds. He wasn't sure what was going through her head at that point.

"I still want turkey burgers," she said.  
"As you wish," he chuckled. "I'm gonna go shopping then."  
"Can I come?" She asked.  
"You wanna come?" He asked.

She walked up to him, took his hand and squeezed it.

"I don't hate you, Baron. I know you're trying to somehow make me feel better about all this by having me here this week. You know it's pointless, and I know it's pointless. But hate you? No. You do legit business. You're honest to those people. And you're honest to me. I can't really ask for more," she said.  
"Except for turkey burgers," he smirked.  
"Except for those damn turkey burgers," she laughed. "Let me take a shower and get dressed in some of my own clothes, and then we can go shopping."


	4. Thursday

**THURSDAY**

A delicious scent hit Baron again this morning when he walked down the stairs. Apparently Iota really liked to bake. He walked out in the kitchen just as she was pulling out a cake from the oven.

"I'm gonna end up so fat with you here," he said.  
"Don't worry, I'll be gone next week," she said.

The light moment quickly turned dark. She placed the cake on the countertop, closed the oven and pulled off the oven mitts.

"Sorry," she looked at him. "That was stupid of me to say."  
"It's okay," he said.

He walked over to her and looked at the cake.

"What did you make today?" He asked.  
"Carrot cake," she answered.  
"Cut me a slice?" He asked.  
"It has to cool down first," she answered.  
"That's not fair," he pouted. "It better be a huge slice then if I have to wait."  
"You can eat the entire cake," she said.  
"Sweet!" He grinned.

She grabbed a couple of bowls and spoons and put them on the table. He sat down while she got the cereal and milk. She sat down too and watched him pour cereal in his bowl.

"I like to bake. Money has always been tight so I don't get to do it very often," she said.  
"You're great at it," he said. "I was afraid it might be some sort of stress relief for you."  
"No, I just like it," she shrugged. "And you seem to like eating them."  
"I do," he smiled widely. "Can I put in an order for cheesecake?"  
"Sure, but we gotta go shopping then," she said.  
"Anything for a cheesecake," he said.

He stuffed his mouth full of cereal, chewed and swallowed.

"What did you do? I mean, for a job. What did Shane make you quit?" He asked.  
"Cleaning some churches," she answered.  
"Are you religious?" He asked.  
"No, I'm just a cleaning lady. Three days a week. A day in each church. It doesn't pay much as you probably could tell from my apartment. I've been struggling finding a full time job when I don't have an education," she said.

He stuffed his mouth full of cereal again while taking in that information.

"If money and education weren't an issue, what would you like to do?" He asked.  
"It's stupid," she said.  
"No, tell me," he said.  
"I wanna own my own bakery," she said.

He stared at her and slowly started smiling bigger and bigger.

"You would kill at it. It would be the fucking best bakery in town," he said.  
"You think so?" She asked.  
"I know so," he answered. "What would you call it?"  
"Cake Call," she said.  
"Cake Call?" He asked.  
"Call is my last name," she said.  
"Iota Call," he tasted her name. "I like it. I'm Corbin, by the way. Baron Corbin. Another C. Corbin's Cakes doesn't have a nice ring though."

She smiled at him, grabbed the cereal and started pouring some into her bowl. He watched in enjoyment as she ate. He really liked watching her eat. Something about those beautiful lips closing over the spoon that just made him want to watch. She finished the bowl and stood up to clean the table.

"You don't have to," he said.  
"I want to," she said.

She grabbed his bowl too and opened the dishwasher.

"And I might as well get some practice for next week," she said.

He stood up and walked up behind her. She hadn't heard him. She closed the dishwasher, turned around and gasped at how close he was.

"I don't like hearing you talk like that," he said sadly.

She took a step back and leaned up against the countertop. He took a step forward and reached for some of her curls.

"I like your hair," he said.

He ran his fingers over her cheek and down her nose.

"And your freckles. They're cute," he said. "But what I like most is your lips. I can't take my eyes off them."

He traced her lips with his thumb. She parted them a little and that was all it took for his briefs to suddenly feel way too tight. He couldn't hide it even if he wanted to. He had never been a man to dress before breakfast. Having her in his house hadn't made him change that. She wasn't dressed either. She stood there in that shirt of his that she apparently still chose to sleep in. He leaned down but stopped himself before he could kiss her. Instead he placed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.

"I can't have you here. It's too dangerous. The things you do to me. I just wanna taste every part of your body and show you a world you never wanna get out of again," he said.  
"Show me," she said.  
"I can't. I won't. Not with Shane hanging over your head like that," he said.  
"He gave his permission," she said.

He opened his eyes and leaned back to look at her with a painful expression on his face.

"I don't want his permission. I want your permission. I don't want you to feel like you owe me something or that you're too scared to say no. I want you to want me too," he said.  
"I do," she said. "Do you think I would ever dare yell at Shane the way I yelled at you? I yell because I'm frustrated. I yell because I wanna jump your bones and fuck you stupid. I yell because I fucking want you, Baron."

He crashed his lips down on hers and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. She placed her hand outside his briefs and gently squeezed his already hard dick. He groaned before grabbing her shirt and tearing it off her. The lace thong followed seconds later. Two of his fingers slid inside her right away. She hissed in a mix of pain and pleasure and squeezed his dick even tighter.

"Jesus, fuck!" He growled.  
"Fuck me!" She panted. "Please!"

She pushed his briefs down and started stroking his dick. With the pace she was setting, she would have him cumming in no time if he didn't stop her. He pulled his fingers out of her and slapped her hand away. He lifted her up to sit on the countertop, pulled her ass to the edge, and forced her legs around him. He pushed inside her and smirked at the loud moan coming from her.

"You like that, sugar lips?" He licked up her throat. "Tell me how much you like my dick."  
"Best dick ever. Fuck, I love it," she panted. "Harder, Baron. Please! Don't stop."

He gave her all he could. When her walls caved in and she cried out, he couldn't have been more happier. He kept holding on to her legs while she leaned backwards on her elbows and shook. Once she was done cumming, he grabbed her neck, pulled her back up, kissed her and growled into her mouth as he came too. He held still but didn't move his lips away from hers. Instead he kissed her more softly and ran his fingers through her curls.

"I think the carrot cake has cooled down now," she said.

He let out a laugh and looked at her.

"Better bring it to bed then. I want my snack up there," he said.

His eyes ran down her body and then back up to her face.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not talking about the cake?" She asked.  
"You know the expression about having your cake and eating it too," he moved his mouth to her ear. "I want you on my bed right now, and I'm gonna eat you like you've never been eaten before. That's a fucking promise, sugar lips."


	5. Friday

**FRIDAY**

Baron woke up with Iota in his arms Friday morning. For once he had actually woken up before her. He wasn't surprised. He had completely worn her out the day before. He would sacrifice the morning fix of freshly baked goodies for waking up like this any day. He pulled her closer and took in the scent of her hair. His shampoo smelled heavenly in her copper red curls.

"What time is it?" She asked sleepily.  
"Don't care," he tightened his arms around her. "You're not getting out of my bed any time soon."

He kissed her softly and ran his hands up and down her back.

"I gotta pee," she said.  
"Hurry back," he said.  
"I stink and so do you. We should take a shower instead," she said.  
"What's the point when we're gonna stink again an hour later?" He asked.

He growled, rolled her over on her back and made her laugh by biting down softly on her neck. His beard tickled her skin.

"You're mine!" He laughed.  
"Move it, you big brute," she chuckled.  
"Alright, alright," he said.

He rolled away from her so she could get out of bed. He watched her ass while she walked towards the door.

"Shake that ass for me, sugar lips," he said.

She gave her own ass a smack instead. He groaned and looked at his dick that immediately woke up.

"Fuck me!" He mumbled.  
"Again?" She teased.  
"Gotta cash in while I still can," he said.

Both their smiles dropped as soon as those words left him. He hadn't meant it like that but it was all clear. He only had a weekend left with her unless he did something. And he had to do something. He couldn't let this happen.

"No, this is not gonna happen!" He growled.

He jumped out of bed and threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He grabbed a backpack from the closet, left the bedroom and walked to his office. She followed behind him without a word. He opened his safe and her eyes widened at the amount of money in there, but that wasn't the only thing she could see.

"Is that a gun?" She asked.

He didn't answer. He pulled out stack after stack and stuffed them in the backpack. The gun followed right after. He closed the safe and zipped the backpack.

"Stay here," he said. "Run a bath or something. I'll be back soon."  
"What are you gonna do?" She asked.  
"Wing it somehow," he shrugged. "What needs to be done."

He walked downstairs and she still followed him. He put on his boots as fast as he could.

"Baron, wait. Where are you going?" She asked.  
"Out," he answered.  
"Talk to me," she pleaded.  
"The less you know, the better. In case I fuck up, you can't know anything," he said.  
"Fuck up what? Please, you're scaring me," she said.

He grabbed her jaw and kissed her hard. He knew this was insane. He shouldn't care this much for some woman he hardly knew but he couldn't help it. He had seen enough over the years when it came to Shane and the way that man did business.

"Stay!" He demanded. "I'll be back."  
"What if you don't? You took a fucking gun, for crying out loud," she said.  
"I'll be back!" He gritted his teeth. "That's a fucking promise!"

He left the house before she could say anything else. He doubted she would try and run after him when she was still naked. He got into his car and drove straight to Shane's house. Enough was enough. It had to end here. He slammed his fist into the front door until Shane opened.

"Baron? What brings you here this early?" Shane asked.  
"Business," Baron answered.  
"You want back in? I got a match fixed for tonight," Shane said.  
"Other business!" Baron growled.

Baron pushed his way inside Shane's home. Shane didn't seem bothered by it. Baron walked straight to the table he knew. The poker table. He placed the backpack on the table, unzipped it, took out a stack of money and threw it at Shane's feet.

"5000 dollars. I'm buying her debt," Baron said.  
"Oh, that's what it's about," Shane chuckled. "You fell for her."  
"So what if I did?" Baron said.

Shane picked up the money and walked over to the other side of the table. He placed the stack down in front of him and stared at Baron.

"We could play for her," Shane offered.  
"No, I'm done with your games. I'm buying her. You don't ever come near her again," Baron said.  
"I don't profit on 5000 dollars. I already put that down. I only broke even. That's not how I do business," Shane said.  
"How much do you want?" Baron asked.  
"At least 5 more just because I had to step into Bray's place. That place stinks," Shane said.

Baron dug into his backpack and threw another stack of money at Shane.

"How much did you bring?" Shane chuckled.  
"10 grand. Is that enough for you?" Baron asked.  
"I'm afraid not," Shane answered. "You see, I was looking forward to have someone clean and cook for me, not to mention keeping my bed warm. I hear redheads are crazy in bed."  
"Shut up!" Baron growled. "Name your fucking price!"

Shane picked up the 10 grand and ran them through his fingers while chuckling.

"I always admired you, Baron. Despite being around us crooks, you stood your ground like a stubborn donkey. And look at you now. Still a stubborn donkey. I know you won't back down," Shane said.

Shane looked at Baron but he got nothing in return. Baron stood his ground as expected and just waited for an answer.

"I'll go easy on you. 30 in total," Shane said.  
"And you'll never come near her again?" Baron asked.  
"I'll forget she even exists," Shane answered.

Baron dug into his backpack again. He pulled up another 20 thousand dollars and placed them on the table. He quickly zipped the backpack so that Shane wouldn't see the gun in there. The gun would have been the last, desperate act if Shane wouldn't let her go.

"Great doing business with you. They say parting is such sweet sorrow but I disagree. It was fun knowing you," Shane said.  
"Fuck you," Baron said.

Baron grabbed his backpack and headed for the door.

"I know you have a gun in there," Shane said.  
"So? I didn't use it," Baron said.  
"But you would have," Shane said.  
"Maybe," Baron said.  
"You would. I could see it in your eyes. I saw it Monday too. She's the one for you. One look at her and you were done for it. That's why I sold her. I don't give a shit about your gun. You know damn well I got one on me right now as well. You don't wanna know which one of us pulls the fastest," Shane said.

Baron nodded and walked out of the door without another word. He knew Shane wasn't lying. Shane always carried at least one gun on him. Baron got back into his car and drove home. To his surprise he found Iota in the kitchen. She was still naked and she was putting a tray of cupcakes into the oven just as he entered.

"You're back," she said.  
"I told you I would be," he said. "I also told you to run a bath."  
"I was scared," she said.

He dropped the backpack on the floor, walked over to her and kissed her.

"So you decided to bake?" He chuckled.  
"I didn't know what else to do. My hands were shaking. Baking makes me relax. You're out of hazelnut syrup. I had to improvise since you don't have any real hazelnuts. I'm sorry. I know you bought it for your coffee but I had to do something," she said.

He kissed her again to silence her and smiled against her lips.

"Shut up," he said softly. "I can't wait to taste your cupcakes."  
"They're done in 15 minutes," she said. "Where were you, Baron? You ran out of here with a gun. You scared the shit out of me."

He took a step back, smiled at her and scratched his head.

"I bought you from Shane," he said.

The look on her face changed. Like she didn't know what to believe.

"So you owe me now?" She asked.  
"In Shane's world I do. In mine you're free to go. No more debt to anyone. I'll drive you back to your apartment and your little rat buddy George if you want. I'll stay away completely and never talk to you again. I'm sure you can still get your old job back if you ask them," he said.

She was silent for a few seconds while taking in that information. He had expected a smile but she still looked lost.

"What do you want?" She asked.  
"I want you," he answered.  
"Here?" She asked.  
"Yes," he smiled. "I want you to stay. All your stuff is already here. Let's give this a go. If we fail, I'll personally help you find a better apartment and move your stuff for you."  
"10 minutes," she said.  
"What?" He asked.  
"Cupcakes," she answered.

He looked at the oven and chuckled. Even in this serious conversation, she reminded him of when the cupcakes were done.

"Right, that reminds me," he said. "If you want your dream to come true, I'll make it come true. We'll find a place and open a bakery. I'll buy everything you need. Legit business and all that. So technically it will be my bakery on paper but your name on the door. Business partners but with the guarantee if it for some very undoubtful reason fails, I'll be the one taking the fall. You'll go free."

Her eyes lit up and a smile followed right after. That was the woman he wanted to see.

"You'd do that for me?" She asked.  
"Of course," he answered. "You'll get free hands. I'll come and help if you teach me how to bake. Or maybe I can just sell stuff over the counter while you bake."  
"8 minutes," she said.  
"You're kind of a control freak with time, you know that?" He chuckled.  
"You keep interrupting," she chuckled back. "7 minutes. Can you fuck me in that short time?"  
"Oh!" His eyes widened.

She had been trying to ask him for a quickie and he had kept interrupting her. He gave her a quick kiss, spun her around and bent her over the counter. He opened his jeans, pulled his dick out and slammed into her right away.

"Did you fucking masterbate before I walked in here? You're soaked," he said.  
"It's a fucking turn on when this hot man actually wants me," she chuckled.

He pushed in deeper and she moaned out loud.

"5 minutes," she said.  
"Better fuck you fast then," he chuckled.  
"Yeah, you better," she said.

He fucked her as fast as he could. He moved a hand in front of her and between her legs so he could run his fingers on her clit while fucking her. She fell apart so fast and took him with her over the edge. He pulled her up from the countertop and wrapped his arms around her. Two sweaty bodies standing there with goofy smiles on their faces.

"Time?" He asked.  
"Oh, fuck!" She pushed him away. "They need to get out."

She opened the oven, put on the oven mitts and pulled the tray of cupcakes out. He chuckled at the sight of her naked with oven mitts on. He walked over to her and pulled the oven mitts off her before pulling her in for a kiss.

"I'm gonna love having you here for good," he said.  
"I'm gonna love being here," she said.  
"Okay, shower and breakfast. Then we're gonna go shop hunting. We got a bakery to open," he said.


End file.
